French Open champion Iga Swiatek served a warning to her rivals ahead of the claycourt Grand Slam with a 6-0 6-0 demolition of former world number one Karolina Pliskova in the Italian Open final on Sunday (May 16)
The victory in 46 minutes meant the world number 15 from Poland, who shot to fame at Roland Garros last year by beating Sofia Kenin in straight sets in the final, will enter the top 10 for the first time when the new rankings are out on Monday (May 17).
Swiatek’s third title overall following triumphs at Roland Garros and Adelaide came on the back of one of the most dominant performances of the 19-year-old’s career as she dropped only 13 points against the Czech, who was the 2019 Rome champion.
She served with ruthless accuracy, winning more than 93% of points on her first serve, and converted six out of eight break point opportunities to close out the win against a frustrated Pliskova, who had no answers on the day.
It was also the first double bagel in the final of the Rome tournament and the most one-sided since Hungary’s Andrea Temesvari beat American Bonnie Gadusek 6-1 6-0 in 1983.
The French Open will begin on May 24.
Reuters
Italy said on Monday it would suspend its open-border arrangements with Spain for another 15 days, extending restrictions it imposed after a mass rush of migrants into the Spanish encl...
Updated 1145
Malta’s Registered Unemployment Rises Year-on-Year in July: Malta recorded 1,319 registered unemployed people in July 2026, an increase of 307 compared with July 2025, ac...
Updated 1145
Malta’s Registered Unemployment Rises Year-on-Year in July: Malta recorded 1,319 registered unemployed people in July 2026, an increase of 307 compared with July 2025, ac...
Morning Briefing
Yorgen Fenech defence closes as prosecution begins final submissions
The defence in Yorgen Fenech’s trial by jury closed its case on Wednesday after calling three ...
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
LEGO has reported another strong financial performance, with first-half revenue rising 21% to a record DKK 41.9 billion, equivalent to around $6.54 billion.
The Danish toy group said ...
Samsung has been ordered to pay Swatch Group $11.6 million after London’s High Court found that digital watch faces available through its app store infringed trademarks belonging to the ...
Artificial intelligence has already transformed industries such as finance and education, but one of its most important tests may come in medicine: discovering new drugs.
Pharmaceutic...
Malta’s new pay transparency regulations, which came into effect on the 5th of June, aim to strengthen fairness and equality in the workplace, but employers are warning that the rushed i...
The autonomous bus project in Gozo commenced its public testing phase after the completion of the commissioning phase, marking another important milestone in the rollout of this innovati...
By Joseph Bugeja, Chairman of ATTO
Malta’s logistics operators and consumers are already experiencing the economic impact of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS). The r...
President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening ship...
Gulf states have backed a proposal aimed at reducing disruption to global oil trade by allowing Iran to collect voluntary fees from ships using the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources...
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
Ukraine wants peace but will not just give in to Russia at any price, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday in a defiant speech marking Independence Day celebrations.
British...
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the...
